Retro Day Today
by Greg Ritchie
Carried the H&R 733 today. Just because. This was my first revolver that I bought specifically for social work. I have had others that I bought for social work, in 32 H&R Magnum and 38 Special, but I never really liked anything better than the 733 until I bought my Ruger LCRX.
The old girl dropped nicely in the Desantis Sof Tuck I have for the LCRX. It surprised me that her barrel peeked out of the bottom of the holster, and she wiggled around in the Soft...

DIY Magazine Loader Tutorial
I was considering purchasing a loader of some kind because my 20 round Redball mags and some from other firearms just weren’t fun to load. After looking at my options, I decided to try to make one. I was able to craft a working “speed loader” (speedier than me loading by hand) from PVC pipe. After making the first one, I continued to refine the process. This tutorial will be based on my findings for what worked best.
For a 9mm Luger magazine, Schedule 40 PVC...

Rambling Thoughts on Reloading Cast Bullets in the 9mm
by Greg Ritchie
I like reloading. Because I am cheap, casting bullets has been a necessary evil for me. Unfortunately my source for free lead dried up a while back. I have started saving lead for the hard to find or the expensive bullets, namely the .459 405 and 500 grain bullets I use so much. This put me on the hunt for a cast bullet to use in my 9mm reloads
One bullet I liked so much was the TL356-124-TC for the 9mm. This bullet has...

Polymer Revolvers,
Greg Ritchie
I will admit that I like steel handguns. My first polymer handgun was a Taurus 709 slim. Designed for concealed carry, it's greatest attribute to me was it's light weight. It was a tremendous difference between the Taurus and the 1911 officers model weight wise, which made the Taurus much easier to carry.
A few years back Ruger came out with a polymer revolver. I handled one, thought it was ugly. Kind of like a love child sired from a cross between a GLOCK...

Reexamining Cooper's Four Rules of Gun Safety - Part IV
by Kirk Lawson
[Unload that gun!]
In Parts I-III, we looked at some issues with the first three rules of Gun Safety as described by the esteemed Colonel Jeff Cooper.
Instead of using this last article in the series to review his 4th rule, I'm going to look at the National Rifle Association's rules. In particular, we'll look at NRA rule number 3.
NRA's rules number 1 and 2 are, "ALWAYS Keep The Gun Pointed In A Safe Direction," and...

Reexamining Cooper's Four Rules of Gun Safety - Part III
by Kirk Lawson
[Keep your booger-hook off the bang switch]
We have been reexamining Jeff Cooper's Four Rules of Gun Safety. In Part I and Part II, we looked at his first and second rule. In this article, we'll take a look at his third rule: "Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target."
A gun is not a living, breathing, creature. Barring a defect or failure of the machine, it cannot discharge unless the...

Random Thoughts on the 64F Savage
by "Histed"
Most of us here at Hi Point Firearms Forums will admit that we like inexpensive guns. After all, we like Hi Point. About a year ago I indulged in buying a Savage Model 64F, one of the least expensive .22 LR semi auto rifles on the market. At that time, I paid just under $125 out-the-door. I thought it should be a fairly reliable and accurate little rifle because, after all, its a Savage. A year and nearly 700 rounds later, this is my take on...

Reexamining Cooper's Four Rules of Gun Safety - Part II
by Kirk Lawson
[Cardinal Directions Compass Rose]
In reexamining Colonel Cooper's Four Rules of Gun Safety, Part I, we looked at the statement "All guns are always loaded" and some of the confusion which may arise from the statement for people not immersed in the firearms community. In Part II, we will look at his second rule.
Jeff Cooper's second rule is, "Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those...

Rambling Thoughts on the Advanced Armament Corporation 300 BLK Handi Rifle
by Greg Ritchie
When I decided to dispose of my Handi Rifle collection and replace them with Rugers, I decided I could not be Handiless. I selected a few of the Handi Rifles to keep.
My first decision was to keep the 357 Magnum or the 300 Blackout. After some deep, lengthy thought, about two minutes, I knew it was to be the 300 Blackout. In reality, either would have been good. The 357 Magnum Handi Rifle is easily...

5 (more) Gift Giving Ideas for the Gun Lover This Giving Season
by Kirk Lawson
1) Clothing
Cost: $30 and up
Concealed carriers need specially designed belts and clothing designed to help support or keep their gun from prying eyes. At the bottom end is Uncle Mike's brand belts but prices and quality can rapidly rise. Quality belts and pants can cost over $100. Either specifically ask the recipient what they want or need or, alternately, give a gift certificate.
2) Range Bags and Carts...

Rambling thoughts on the H&R Pardner Pump
by Greg Ritchie
I needed a shotgun for an impromptu dove shoot that presented itself at the last minute. Off to the local big box sporting goods store to see what they had cheap. The one that struck my fancy was the H&R Pardner Pump in 20 gauge.
The Pardner Pump is a Remington 870 clone. I knew about the Pardner Pump, having collected H&R's for a while. But my interest was in the break action single shots. I just was not interested in a Chinese...

5 Gift Giving Ideas for the Gun Lover This Giving Season
by Kirk Lawson
The holiday gift giving season is upon us. We will be eating delicious foods and, more importantly, celebrating with family and friends. Part of that celebration is gift giving. Judging by statistics, there are more firearms owners than ever particularly first time firearms owners. You may have never thought about giving a firearms related gift until now. Here are are 5 gift ideas.
1) Ammunition:
Cost: Starts at about...

The "Improved" DIY Shoot and See Targets
by Kirk Lawson
In a prior article I discussed a DIY method for producing inexpensive "shoot and see" targets.
I am still a fan of saving money and finding "life hacks" that increase the value of tools and stretch my dollar just a bit farther. I'm also still a fan of the "shoot and see" style targets which offer immediate feedback in a gratifyingly visual manner. I've found an improved method of making DIY "shoot and see" targets. This is my new and...

Rambling thoughts on "El Cetmeton." The FR8
by Greg Ritchie
The FR8, or Fusil Reformado 8, is my favorite milsurp ("Military Surplus") rifle. Often called the "poor man's scout rifle" or the "bolt action assault rifle", it's a bolt action Mauser rifle chambered in 7.62x51 NATO.
Born in the 1950's, the FR8 was the result of the Spanish military transitioning to the 7.62x51 NATO and the CETME rifle. Not having enough CETME rifles to go around, the Spaniards took their M43 Mausers which...

Reexamining Cooper's Four Rules of Gun Safety - Part I
by Kirk Lawson
[Colonel Jeff Cooper]
Colonel Jeff Cooper was a highly influential figure in the firearms combat community. He is credited for creating what is generally known as the "modern technique" of handgun fighting. Among his many important contributions are stance, grip, mind set, "conditions of readiness" for the 1911 handgun, the "color code" system of alertness and awareness, and his Four Rules of Gun Safety.
In this...